Door catch



1941- v F. o. KLINGBORG DOOR CATCH Filed March 6, 1940 El -L.-

INVENTOR. gem/s 0. [QM/ ames 711W 6 ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 25, 1941 PATENT OFFICE DOOR CATCH Frans Klingborg, San Mateo, Calif,, assignor of one-half to H. D. Currence, San Mateo, Calif.

Application March 6, 1940, Serial No. 322,429

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a door catch. More specifically, this invention relates to a door catch such as may be used in connection with the doors of cabinets and other articles of furniture and in like instances wherein it is desirable to retain a door in closed position.

It is an object of this invention to provide a door catch of the class described which will effectively retain a door in closed position so long as that is desired, but which will not interfere with the intentional opening of the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door catch of the class described which may be quickly installed; which will resist wear; which has few working parts and which will require no manipulation inthe opening or closing of the door in connection with which it is used.

I am aware of the fact that many devices have been devised for the specific purposes for which this invention is intended, but it has been my observation from a careful study of the art, that the known devices are objectionable for many reasons. It has been my observation that the familiar spring ball and socket door catch is un- 25, satisfactory because of its tendency to stick. Frequently this is caused by a swelling or slight warping of the wood in the door, and in other instances, it is due to the fact that this specific catch is prone to get out of order. In some in- 30, stances use has been made of door catches which are manually operable by the door knob, but these are costly and objectionable because they frequently get out of order.

In general terms, this invention consists in ap- 351 plying a door catch means to the door hinges instead of placing it at the opposite vertical-edge of the door. More specifically, my invention consists in applying a yieldable finger or catch to one flap of the hinge and arranging a slot in the opposite hinge fiap into which the said catch or finger is inserted in the door closing operation, the frictional engagement of the said catch or finger with the opposite flap serving to retain the door in its closed position.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a. door frame an door with hinges embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a hinge embodying the invention,

Fig. 3 is a top edge plan view of the hinge of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a hinge embodying the invention in its closed position, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of a hinge embodying a modification of the invention.

The numeral Ill designates a door frame or jamb set in a wall structure II, there being a door I2 connected to the jamb by means of conventional hinges I3. Moreover, the door I2 is 1 fitted with a common knob I4 (see dotted lines in Fig. 1) as a convenient means of opening and closing the same.

In the form illustrated in the drawing the 10 hinges consist in the customary fiaps I5 and I6 interconnected by a pin II.

In the hinge I3 I provide the opposed apertures I8. and IS, the same being punched in the flaps I5 and I6, respectively. A finger 20, of rel- 5 atively stiff but yieldable material, such as spring metal or the like, and having one end bent. at right angles as at 2| (see Fig. 3) for attachment to the obverse side of flap I6 in any accepted manner, such as by the rivet 22, projects through the aperture I9 in flap I6. The yieldable finger 20 is adapted to. enter the aperture I8 in the opposing flap I5 and by frictional engagement hold the flaps in closed relation (see Fig. 4).

To facilitate the engagement offlap I5 by the yieldable finger 20, the free end of the latter is bent, as at 23.

While in Figs. 1 to 4 the apertures 18 and I9 and finger 20 are shown vertically disposed, the device will operate with equal facility if arranged, as a matter of preference, on a horizontal plane (see Fig. 5).

In applying the hinge I3 fitted With the device of my invention, the usual procedure of first cutting recesses in door edge and jamb for the hinge flaps is supplemental to the extent of cutting a recess 24 in the jamb III, to receive the extreme end of the finger 20 (see Fig. 4)

It will be understood from the foregoing that 40 opening and closing of the door I2 is accomplished in the usual manner, i. e., by pulling and pushing on the knob I4. When the door is pushed inwardly the finger 20 enters the aperture I8 and snaps over one edge thereof to retain the door in closed position. When pull is exerted on the knob I4, the finger 20 will yield and be withdrawn from engagement with the flap I5.

It will be appreciated that this invention may take forms in addition to that illustrated herein without departing from the spirit thereof, hence I desire full protection in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a door catch, the combination of a door supporting hinge havin opposed flaps, one of said flaps having an aperture therein, the other flap having a relatively stifi but yieldable finger thereon in substantial registry with the aperture in the first named flap and adapted to enter said aperture and frictionally engage one of the edges of the said flap defining the aperture there in when the flaps are closed together.

2. In a door catch, the combination of a door supporting hinge having opposed flaps, said flaps having apertures therein in registry, a relatively stiff but yieldable finger projecting through one of said apertures and being adapted to enter the aperture in the opposite plate to frictionally engage one of the edges of said flap defining the aperture therein when the flaps are closed together.

3. In a door catch, the combination of a door supporting hinge having opposed flaps, said flaps having apertures therein in registry, a relatively stifi but yieldable finger projecting through one of said apertures and being adapted to enter the aperture in the opposite flap to frictionally engage one of the edges of said flap defining the aperture therein when the flaps are closed to gether, the opposite end of said finger being bent at right angles and attached to the obverse side of the flap through which it projects.

FRANS O. KLINGBORG. 

